Hard Polenta Cakes With Taleggio And Cherry Tomatoes Food

CHERRY POLENTA CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for indirect heat. If using a charcoal grill, build the hot coals on one side only. If using a gas grill, heat one side only to medium-high heat.
• Vigorously whisk together the eggs and 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cornmeal, flour and salt, smoothing out any lumps. Whisk in the milk and almond extract.
• Add the butter to a 10- to 12-inch cast-iron skillet over direct heat. When the butter has melted, swirl it around to coat the bottom of the skillet. Right before you are ready to pour the batter into the pan, give the batter another whisk. (Cornmeal tends to sink to the bottom so re-whisking right before pouring it in is important.) Pour the batter into the cast-iron and cook until the batter begins to set, about 5 minutes. Every few minutes, using a rubber spatula, move some of the batter from the edges to the middle, like making scrambled eggs, to help it cook.
• Remove the skillet from the grill and distribute the cherries evenly over the surface of the cake. Place the cast-iron over indirect heat, close the grill and bake until puffed and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Remove the cake from the grill and immediately sprinkle it with the remaining teaspoon of granulated sugar. Allow to cool slightly before loosening and sliding it onto a plate. Slice and serve dusted with confectioners' sugar.
• (Alternatively, you can begin to bake the cake over medium-high heat on a stovetop, then finish it in a 375 degrees F oven for 30 minutes.)

TAGLIATELLE WITH CORN AND CHERRY TOMATOES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
• Coat a large sauté pan with olive oil and add the garlic and crushed red pepper. Bring the pan to a medium-high heat. When the garlic has turned a lovely golden brown color, remove it and discard. Add the tomatoes and half of the stock and season with salt. Simmer until the tomatoes have wilted and let off their juices, about 4 minutes. Add the corn and the remaining stock and simmer until the corn is cooked through, about 2 more minutes.
• While the corn is cooking, add the pasta to the pot of salty boiling water. Cook the pasta until the water comes back to a rolling boil plus 1 minute. Remove the pasta from the water using tongs and add it to the sauté pan with the tomatoes and corn. Add about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and cook until the water has evaporated and the sauce clings to the pasta. Remove the pan from the heat. Toss in the parmigiano, basil and a big drizzle of olive oil. Stir or toss the pasta vigorously. Divide the pasta among bowls, sprinkle with a little more parmigiano and serve immediately.

SWEET OR SAVORY POLENTA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a baking dish with some of the melted butter.
• Combine polenta, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Whisk milk, eggs, and remaining melted butter together in a second bowl. Add flour mixture and briefly stir batter until well combined. Pour batter into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 30 minutes.

HARD POLENTA CAKES

Steps:

• In a saucepan combine the milk, water, bay and cayenne. Bring the mixture to a boil over low heat and season generously with salt. Take the seasoning to the edge of too salty. To do this you MUST taste as you go. Polenta acts as a salt eraser, if you don't season abundantly here you will never recover from it.
• Once the liquid is at a boil and is seasoned appropriately, sprinkle in the polenta whisking constantly. Once the polenta is combined switch over to a wooden spoon and stir frequently until the polenta has become thick. Taste the polenta to see if it has cooked through. If it still feels mealy and grainy, add some more milk or water and cook it to a thick consistency. Repeat this process, as needed, until the polenta feels smooth on your tongue, about 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the chopped sage and mascarpone.
• Line a 7 by 7-inch square pan with plastic wrap. Pour the polenta into the prepared pan. Cover the top with more plastic smoothed onto the surface of the polenta. Chill in the refrigerator until needed. (All of this can totally be done ahead of time, like yesterday! Cool!)
• When ready to use, remove the polenta from the pan and cut into desired shapes. Coat a nonstick saute pan with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot and starting to smoke just a little, add the polenta shapes. Cook the polenta on both sides and finish by sprinkling with a little bit grated Parmigiano. Transfer to a serving platter and serve while hot.
• What a corncake!!!!

TAGLIATELLE WITH SHRIMP, ZUCCHINI AND CHERRY TOMATOES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over medium heat.
• Coat a large, wide pot set over medium-high heat with olive oil. Toss in the garlic and crushed red pepper. When the garlic becomes golden and very aromatic, remove from the pan and discard. Toss in the tomatoes, zucchini and onions and roll them around in the oil. Add 1 cup of the stock and season with salt. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the tomatoes start to burst and give off their juices, 8 to 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup more stock if the liquid level is very low.
• Drop the tagliatelle into the boiling water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Toss the shrimp into the pot with the tomatoes and stir to combine. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, and then toss the pasta immediately into the pot with the tomato mixture. Add in the reserved cooking water, if needed. Toss vigorously to combine. Remove from the heat and drizzle some finishing oil over the top, then add the Parmesan and a sprinkling of fresh oregano to garnish. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter and serve immediately.
• Place the flour on a clean dry work surface. Make a hole (this is also called a well) in the center of the flour about 8-inches wide (bigger is definitely better here). Crack all of the eggs and the yolk into the hole and add the olive oil, a pinch of salt and 1 to 2 tablespoons water.
• Using a fork, beat the eggs together with the olive oil, water and salt. Then begin to incorporate the flour into the egg mixture; be careful not to break the sides of the well or the egg mixture will run all over your board and you will have a big mess! Also, don't worry about the lumps. When enough flour has been incorporated into the egg mixture that it will not run all over the place when the sides of the well are broken, begin to use your hands to really get everything well combined. If the mixture is tight and dry, wet your hands and begin kneading with wet hands. When the mixture has really come together as a homogeneous mixture, THEN you can start kneading.
• When kneading it is VERY important to put your body weight into it, get on top of the dough to really stretch, but not to tear, the dough. Using the heels of your palms, roll the dough to create a very smooooooth, supple dough. When done, the dough should look VERY smooth and feel almost velvety. Kneading will usually take 8 to 10 minutes for an experienced kneader and 10 to 15 minutes for an inexperienced kneader. Put your body weight into it, you need to knead! This is where the perfect, toothsome texture of your pasta is formed. Get in there and have fun!
• When the pasta has been kneaded to the perfect consistency, wrap it in plastic and let rest for at least 1 hour. If using immediately, do not refrigerate.
• To roll out the pasta, you need to run the dough through a pasta roller a bunch of times to get it long and thin. To start, cut off about a quarter of the dough, keeping the rest wrapped up so it doesn't dry out. Squish the dough to flatten it. Run the dough through the pasta roller starting on the widest setting, number 1. Then dust the dough with flour, fold it into thirds, and put the dough through this setting two more times. If the dough ever feels sticky or tacky, dust with flour. Now adjust the setting to number 2 and repeat the process again, changing the setting each time until the dough reaches the desired thickness. Once the dough is rolled out, be sure to keep the pasta covered so it doesn't dry out. Repeat this process with the remaining dough, then cut the dough to the desires pasta shape.